Attachment for fuel tanks



J. J. METHENY.

ATTACHMENT FOR FUEL TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. 1921.

1,4282J7M. Patented Oct. 17, 1922.

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Patented on. 17, ieaa' UNHTEE) STATES ll, earn Parent .rnss n :r.nnrnnnr, or sTuaaT,

IGWA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO JESSE L. BURNS, 0F STUART, IOWA.

eTTacnt-rnn'r re n FUEL TANKS.

Application filed October 21, 1921. Serial Ito. 509,446.

or gasoline tank designed to supply fuel by gravity feed system to acarburetor and thence to the cylinders of the engine. Such tanks areordinarily provided with a vent to admit air, into the tank, as the fuelis taken out for engine consumption.

It is primarily my object to provide an attachment for use with suchtanks, including a valve structure and an air passage arranged to beconnected with a suitable pump or the like, the-valve structure being soarranged that ordinarily it will providea vent passage, serving thepurpose of an ordinary vent.

Furthermore in such structure, the valve.

is designed to be closed in case a pump is used to force air intothe'tank on which the structure is used, so that the tank may at leasttemporarily operate on the same principle for feeding fuel to thecarburetor as is employed in the so-called pressure feed systems.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, an rangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinai ormore fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure It shows a perspective view of a portion of a motor vehiclehaving a tank equipped with an attachment embodying my inyention.

Figure 2 shows a vertical, sectional view through a portionof a top ofthe tank equipped with my invention; and

Figure 3 shows a vertical, sectional view through an attachmentembodying a modilied form of my invention.

in the accompanying drawings, 1 have used the reference numeral 10 toindicate a portion of the body of a motor vehicle supporting. the fueltank 11, having the top member 12. The fuel tank 11 has a fuel opening,which is ordinarily closed by a plug or cap.

For the-ordinary plug or cap used in such tanks, 1 have substituted acap or plug 13 having the downwardly extending annular externallyscrew-threaded flange 14, ar-

ranged to be screwed into the top of the fuel tank and provided at itsupper portion with a part 13*, projecting beyond the flange 14:, asshown in Figure 2.

At the central portion ofthe cap 13 is an upwardly extending tubular orhollow cylindrical member 15 forming a valve casin having therein avalve seat 16 adapted to coact with a ball valve or the like 1'? arranged below the valve seat and limited in its downward movement by aholding member 18. p

At its upper end, the valve casing 16 is externally screw-threaded, asat 15 to receive a suitable cap 20, which is provided at its side with avent opening 21.

In Figure 3 is shown a modified form of my invention, in which isemployed a tubular valve casing 22 having a valve seat 23 and a ballvalve 2 1- to coact therewith. A plug 24? having a pamage 25 through itis screwed into the lower end of the casing 22 and supports the valve. Apassage 26 leads from the inner face of the cap 13 to a point just abovethe plug 2& communicating with i the valve seat 23. I

It is well-known that tanks used on cars, which are not of the vacuumfeed type, and in which the fuel is fed by vacuum, are usually providedwith caps having vent openings therein. It will be noted that my cap,

which is designed "for use with the kind of tanks now underconsideration, furnishes a plug for closing the opening into the gastank and also has'the valve casing 16 so arranged that normally air mayleave the tank 12 freely,

In the valve casing is the valve, which normally is inoperative.

It will thus be seen that where my equipment is provided, the ordinaryoperation of the automobile is not in anyway effected one we or theother by my attachment.

Owever, if the driver should be at the bottom of a long hill with hisgas sli htly low or should be elsewhere where it wou d be desirable toinsure all of the gasoline in the ssh I tank reaching the carburetor, itwill be seen that a hand pump 19 or the like may be con-' nected withthe casing 15, after the removal of the cap 20 for forcing air into thetank 11. Thus air under pressure may be forced into the tank 11 and whenthe pressure.

reaches a certain point, it will be seen that the valve 17 will beforced shut, thereby the pump 19 is removed. The gasoline or other fuelin the tank will then remain under pressure, which pressure will tend toforce the Even with a car which has the vacuum fuel feed system, it isknown that'at times when the car stands idle for a considerable period,the carburetor may leak enough so that the fuel leaks from the vacuumtank.

Thereafter the engine can not be started tillthe vacuum tank is primedby supplying fuel to it. lVhere my device is on the fuel tank, it isobvious that the pumpmay be used for putting air under pressure into thefuel tank and thereby forcing fuel to the vacuum tank. Of course, assoon as the engine starts, the vacuum system 'will take care of itself.

The advantages of such a structure as that herein shown are simplyillustrated by the foregoing and will readily appear to the reader. Y

The cap 13 may screw onto a cylindrical extension and may be made invarious forms, as may the other parts of the device, such as the valveand valve casing, and the valve casing and operative parts might beinstalled elsewhere than on the cap 13.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of myimproved device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of myinvention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim, any modifiedforms of structure, or use of mechanical equivalents, which may bereasonably included within its scope.

I claim as my invention:

. In a device of the class described, a cap designed to-be mounted on afuel tank by means of a tight joint, and having joining means,'said caphaving a central outwardly projecting extension forming a valve casing,a passage extend-111g through sald casing having a contracted portion,the extension having a valve seat below said contracted portion, a valvearranged to coact with said seat and to normally stand below the seat, acap for said valve casing extension having a screw-threaded connectiontherewith and being provided with a vent opening, said valve comprisinga ball, a plug screwed into the lower end of said passage for supportingsaid ball, said plug being provided with a passage through it and aby-pass extending from the inner surface of said cap to the passage insaid extension adjacent to said valve seat.

Des Moines, Iowa, October 13, 1921.

JESSE J. METHEN Y.

